🔗 Share this article Space Traveler Reveals Emotional Distress Following Deluge of Harassment Following Journey Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was aboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in Spring 2025. A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her emotional downturn after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in April, which also carried celebrity crewmates. The much-publicized journey was widely scrutinized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the negative reaction buried her dreams under an landslide of gendered hatred. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a online statement, referring to a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the journey. She characterized the press attention and digital reaction as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she revealed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Overshadowed by Sexism Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on women's health research and performed experiments during the mission, said every professional achievement – from her scientific research and astronaut training to the personal milestone of her background – was overshadowed under the tide of sexist vitriol. She is widely recognized for her pioneering work protecting the rights of survivors of assault. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after an attack during her college days, leading to a protracted legal battle. A Path to Recovery Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she noted the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she acknowledged the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she affirmed. She concluded that even with the backlash, important benefits had emerged from the experience, such as spotlight on her scientific work and platforms for her activism. Flight Details The computer-piloted spacecraft departed its launch site in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space. The group of women also comprised experts in various fields. The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company founded by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.
Amanda Nguyen, a women's health researcher, was aboard the New Shepard NS-31 rocket in Spring 2025. A pioneering space traveler has opened up regarding her emotional downturn after facing a massive wave of online abuse in the wake of a pioneering women-only spaceflight. Amanda Nguyen – celebrated as a researcher and activist – was part of the short-duration mission in April, which also carried celebrity crewmates. The much-publicized journey was widely scrutinized by some, who questioned its cost and ecological impact. Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms. Nguyen, who became the pioneer for her community, stated the negative reaction buried her dreams under an landslide of gendered hatred. “I explained the depression could persist for a long time,” she recounted in a online statement, referring to a supportive conversation from a fellow crew member in the aftermath of the journey. She characterized the press attention and digital reaction as an barrage beyond typical human coping. “Stuck in Texas, I spent a week unable to rise from my bed,” she revealed. “A month later… I had to hang up… because I could not speak through my tears.” Overshadowed by Sexism Ms. Nguyen, who has focused her career on women's health research and performed experiments during the mission, said every professional achievement – from her scientific research and astronaut training to the personal milestone of her background – was overshadowed under the tide of sexist vitriol. She is widely recognized for her pioneering work protecting the rights of survivors of assault. Her own dream of becoming an astronaut was paused after an attack during her college days, leading to a protracted legal battle. A Path to Recovery Now, eight months after fulfilling her dream, she noted the deepest pain is gradually receding, and she acknowledged the well-wishers whose messages of encouragement were her lifeline. “You all saved me,” she affirmed. She concluded that even with the backlash, important benefits had emerged from the experience, such as spotlight on her scientific work and platforms for her activism. Flight Details The computer-piloted spacecraft departed its launch site in the spring, carrying the all-female team on a 11-minute journey that crossed the internationally recognized boundary of outer space. The group of women also comprised experts in various fields. The enterprise behind the flight is a commercial aerospace company founded by a prominent billionaire entrepreneur.